…free from your burdens!

Bible and Quote - February 22-26
     'Bible verse and quote' from Jan Couns

.I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained… Psalm 8:3 The more we learn (untarnished by prejudice) about the wonders of our universe, the more clearly we are going to perceive the hand of God. Frank Borman, 1928 (Having created the universe) What is man that You are mindful of him… Psalm 8:4a There are three important questions to ask ourselves: 1) who am I? 2) Why am I here? 3) Where am I going? Doug Sager, Senior Pastor, 1st Baptist Concord, Farragut, Tennessee (Having created the universe) what is…

A Path through Uncertainty
     'God's Words For US' from Cecelia Lester

From time to time, I have times where I don’t know what I am supposed to do. As a believer in Christ, I have learned simply to seek His will for my life about that circumstance. Certain scriptures guide God’s children as they navigate through their days: Proverbs 1:5-6 “let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.” King Solomon penned these words as part of the purpose and reason…

Number One
     'Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life' from Tom Kelley

March Madness. No, that's not about people who love the music of John Philip Sousa. You know. March Madness!!! Dicky V, b-ball, hard picks, last second game winning baskets. Okay, it's the NCAA Basketball Tournament. People call it March Madness because it gets the blood boiling in the veins of college basketball enthusiasts all across the country. It used to get the blood boiling here in the Bluegrass for we University of Kentucky Wildcat fans. For many UK fans there is something else making their blood boil about basketball, but that's for another day. For me, being…

The Freedom of the Will
     ''Winging It' from Stan Smith

Anyone who knows of Jonathan Edwards will know that he wrote the definitive work, The Freedom of the Will. I am not writing any such thing. I just want to examine, for a moment, what we know about the human will and its freedom and lack thereof. Free will is important. We know that because if there is no free will, there is no free choice, and if no free choice, no accountability. That is, if humans do not have free will, they can't be held responsible for their sin or credited with their successes and Christianity falls apart. But what exactly is this so-called "free will"? …

Castles or Company?
     'The Way' from Kevin Pauley

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. - John 13:34-35 A good man was walking on a beach on a hot summer day when he came across two children playing in the sand. Amused by their play, he paused to watch them. They were diligently building an elaborate sand castle. It had everything a fairy tale construct could desire: towers, walls, a moat and a draw bridge. The children even went so far as to begin building a…

Justification V (2-11-11)
     'Today's Little Lift' from Jim Bullington

As rational human beings, we justify ourselves (to judge to be right or appropriate) throughout our accountable years. There are also times during those years that we take account of our actions and conclude that we have acted inappropriately or, speaking from a spiritual standpoint, sinned. God created us such that we rationalize (justify) our actions, or our consciences disapprove of our actions. These mental transactions are related to the subject matter of this series, i.e. justification. There is another level at which justification can take place, but unlike the level…

Honesty, Integrity and Transparency Throughout Pauls Ministry
     'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw

We are in I Thessalonians 2 and verse 5 – Was Paul being accused of seeking fame and honour, and money, when you read verse 9? In Paul’s ministry, there was no flattery and no covetousness, and no “what is in it for me” or “what can I get out of it”.……

Rahab the harlot
     'Refreshment in Refuge' from Gina Burgess

So often Jesus’ lineage is studied with great emphasis given to the long line of men listed in the begats. There are only four women listed: Rahab, Tamar, Ruth, and Bathsheba. In this list are a Canaanite harlot from Jericho, a Canaanite woman, a Moabite, and an adulteress. I have to wonder why these women were singled out to be mentioned. What could possibly be so different about them that they needed mentioning when not even Sarah was mentioned or Isaac’s wife, Rebecca? I do not think it is solely because of their sin. Although, I do believe that God has reminded…

What Has Been Done For You And Me
     ''Christ in You...'' from Dale Krebbs

Christ has done it all for you and me! Christ became sin In our stead - so that our sins would not be counted against us. When we are without belief in Jesus Christ, our relationship to sin is: We can live with it... We can ignore it... We can flee from it... Or, we can leave it all at the foot of the cross. It is possible to live with the first three at the same time. Regardless, if it is there, it is still ours. It sticks like glue. It follows you, pursues you, and - if not gotten rid of, it will kill eventually kill you spiritually, and possibly physically.…

Psalms 91:9
     'Voice of Inspiration' from Andy Castro

'Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;' Psalm 91:9 KJV This verse grabs my attention. In the middle of this chapter, it exerts God's powerful ability to destroy the works of Satan. This verse reminds me of the cheesy commercials that play up their product then state, "But that's not all!" It's phycological wording to reel in your attention to increase the perceived value in your mind. But God is not cheesy. He, in this verse, is upping the ante. God is adding more goodness to your plate.…

Discovering Your Inner Muse
     'Inspiration For You' from Randy Mitchell

For those of us who live inside the world of artistic creativity, chasing that ever-elusive muse is more satisfying than the strongest of addictions. It often comes easy, like drawing an effortless breath or taking a Sunday drive along an oceanfront road, allowing the world of make believe to magically enter your bloodstream. It's thrilling, and oh so satisfying and rewarding when it happens, most likely leaving you craving and hungering for more as it leaves, disappearing like a adrenaline-filled lovers kiss. When I first began writing, doing something creative was pretty…